Hello. I will be out of town for about 2-3 months and the Fit is staying behind in the garage. Any suggestions on measures that I should take during my absence and on my return?
- Should I disconnect any cables, and/or disengage anything?
- Should I leave it full of gas, empty, in between?
- Should I ask someone to drive it every so often - if so, how often and how far?
- Once I return, what should I check before I start to use it again? Should I change the oil?
- How bad is it for a car to stay parked for several months?
- Anything else?

Thanks.

 

My suggestion is to see if someone can start it up and drive it around for a short distance. That is the most practical. Keeps the parts lubricated, tires from dry rotting from sitting, battery charged not sulfating, etc.

If unable to get someone to drive it do the following:

Fuel stabilizer: Stabil to treat 10 gallons for a full tank. A full tank with less air space prevents condensation forming. Stabil treats the fuel to prevent breakdown.

Automatic battery tender: important to prevent battery sulfation and discharge

Keep vents set to outside air and windows closed. Prevent critters from getting cabin.

Properly inflate the tires for pressure. Depending on climate i dont think there will be excessive dry roting of the side walls being it will be garaged, something to think about though.

When you get back be sure to check the air intake cleaner so critters get inside there. Being that it will be garaged i wouldnt worry too much bout this. Check oil, check tires, and finally gove her a crank. Drive a short distance being easy on the car, once warmed up you should be perfectly fine.

I may have been a bit overdetailed but thats how i roll normally.

Cheers!

 

The other thing that I've always done when storing cars is to change the oil right before storage. Fresh oil has fewer acids and dissolved moisture.

However, for two months a lot of prep is overkill. Gas will easily last that long, even the alcohol-laced stuff that passes for gas in California.

Remember that a lot of Fits sat in Mexico for a few months waiting for bumper fixes and they were fine afterwards!

 

My only action would be to hook up a cheap float charger. (Modern cars have constant current draw and small batteries.)

Automatic Battery Charger - 12V



That, and check the air in the tires before you leave (maybe, inflate to the MAX on the sidewall). No flat-spotting.

 

Agreed, A float charger is all you need for that short of a period.

 

+1 Raise the tire pressure (and remember to knock it back down when you come back).

And the battery, as suggested. You could just attach a regular charger and have someone just plug it in for a few hours every couple weeks.

Oil I wouldn't bother with.

Gas, fill up the tank. Add fuel stabilizer and personally i would use premium from a tier 1 station without ethanol which tends to separate out
over time (fuel stabilizer in theory prevents that. in theory.).

If you have a cover for the car that would be nice so it's not covered in dust when you come back.

i've left cars in storage in my garage for long periods without issue. I did jack them up and put the frame on blocks to keep the tires off the ground. That was a lot of work though and I don't think I would do that any more. Today's tires are much better and flat spotting much less of an issue, especially if you raise the inflation. The battery I usually just let run down and recharged it when I was back.

 

Do NOT disconnect any cables since that would return the infotainment electronics off. Reconnection would return to default which might cause a loss of stuff you've changed/customized.


A run down battery caused by my ignorance cost me some time to reset almost everything I had set up, including the clock. A float charger sounds like a good idea if you're really worried.

 

i hibernate my hobby cars 5-6months every year.

1. tell your insurance agent to suspend coverage besides comprehensive.
2. full tank of gas (3months is nothing, no need for stabil unless u park 6+ months).
3. fill air in tire to 40psi, adjust when u're back.
4. cover your car if u have a cover, or park in garage. u dont want tree sap and bird crap etching ur finish.
5. plug battery to battery tender ($25 at amazon). if u buy other types, make sure it floats, not trickle charge.



GL

 

Thank you all for the suggestions. From what I see 2-3 months may not be much to worry about. A few questions from your responses though:

Wouldn't filling the tires to 40psi stretch them if I bring them down when I return? Do tires actually stretch or is that a myth?

Wouldn't it be the opposite - keep vents set to cabin air so no critters come from the outside?

 

No they would have to eat through the cabin filter. Also check the engine air filter. Often critters will make a nest in both places. My 2011 i had squirrel nest in engine air filter, and mice in the cabin filter. Let me tell you the smell of shit was rank!

 

That would take them about five minutes!

Getting past the screens in the cowl vents would be more difficult, but who knows what other passages are available to vermin.

 

I don't know where you heard that, but it is not true. Tires can reach 40psi while driving on a hot sunny day even if you pressured up only 33-34psi cold.

The purpose of over inflating the tires is to prevent flat spots. I do this on my hobby cars (actually 44psi since it's winter and psi drops as my garage temp drops) and place on RaceRamp FlatStoppers platforms as each tire is north of $300.

 

Flat spots are not really a concern anymore. Anything that is created by sitting for a few months will be gone within the first few miles of drive once you are using the car again.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=42

Now saying that more pressure in the tires just means the flat spots will be small and take a shorter time to round back out. My Miata sits for months on end and the tires are round again within the first 5-7 miles.